


Beginnings

by anmaya



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27698732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anmaya/pseuds/anmaya
Summary: According to canon Will Riker's father abandoned him at age 15.  This is the story of how that happened, and how he ended at Star Fleet Academy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	Beginnings

Will moved through the last of the dense pine forest before it opened into the clearing behind the cabin. It was less than a mile straight through the woods to the soccer fields, so he usually went that way instead of taking the road which wound around for a while before reaching the same destination. It was almost dark but that didn’t bother him. He knew that stretch of woods like the back of his hand, and he had no fear of the creatures he might meet in the darkening forest. He was replaying the game in his mind and thinking about what he could make for supper when the cabin came into sight and his shoulders dropped. The lights in the kitchen were on. That meant his dad was home, and that wasn’t something that made him happy.

When Will had turned 12 his Dad pronounced that he was old enough to fend for himself once in a while when he could not make it back from work in time to make dinner. It wasn’t too long before his absences stretched into a day or two at a time. Will never knew if he’d be there or not, or what mood he’d be in when he reappeared. Lately, thank god, he’d been gone more than he was around. Will didn’t miss him. He was perfectly capable of getting himself up and off to school, more than able to get his homework done, keep himself and the dog fed, and the house in reasonable condition. When Kyle Riker was around they barely talked. His father would ask a few pointed questions about his grades and sports and showed little interest in anything else Will was doing with his life. Will knew better than to mention anything that didn’t include an athletic victory or a straight A , and since Kyle wasn’t big on praise, their conversations were brief. Will could get used to being ignored. What was much worse were the times, when out of the blue, Kyle would decide they needed to do some father-son activity. It usually started out promising: a climbing expedition, an ambu-jitsu practice session, a day on the ski slopes. It always ended the same way, though- with his father irritated at him for not being strong enough or smart enough or brave enough. Will would never forget the day his dad left him at the top of a black diamond ski run where he had no business being as a twelve year old. He’d made it down eventually, scared and cold and angry, but proud of his accomplishment. But when he eventually found Kyle at the bar in the lodge and proudly announced he’d done it, Kyle just shook his head in disgust and informed his drinking partners that his son was a pussy. It was getting late, but Will went back out, rode the lift to the top of the run, and did it again, faster this time, his skis chattering on the slope that was growing icy as the sun got lower in the sky. He was so angry he didn’t care if he got hurt. He skied faster than he could control, his heart pounding as he bombed down the slope, always on the very edge of a spectacular wipeout. The fear went away, and was replaced with a glorious exhilaration and the certainty that yes, he could do this. When he pulled up at the bottom of the slope his father was standing there, waiting. A guy who had been skiing behind him slowed down for a second as he went by, gave him a thumbs up and said “awesome run little man!” Will grinned and looked up at his dad. For a minute, will actually thought he’d finally done enough, but all Kyle said was “It’s about time. Get your stuff together. We’re leaving.” Will narrowed his eyes and said “screw you.” As he brushed past his father, heading for the lodge. Kyle smiled slightly at his retreating back. He’d never tell the kid, but he was impressed. The boy was finally toughening up. he didn’t know, or didn’t care, that inside the kids heart was breaking. 

Will sighed resignedly at the memory and pushed open the backdoor. His dog, a big husky/german shepherd mix named Loki, gave out a joyful bark of greeting and scrabbled across the tile floor mud room to demand a scritch behind his ears. “Is that you Will?” Kyle Riker called from the kitchen.

Will petted the dog for a moment and called back “Yes sir” before dropping his backpack on the floor. Kyle Riker appeared in the doorway and frowned. “Don’t let that lay there – put it in your room.”

Will bent and picked the backpack before brushing past his father into the house. “Nice to see you too…” he murmured under his breath, and Kyle’s frown deepened. The kid had a crappy attitude. He opened his mouth with a rebuke and then decided to skip it. This was the last day they’d have this problem and it just wasn’t worth the fight.

“Clean up and then get down here. Dinner’s ready and I need to talk to you.” He told his son’s retreating back as the boy headed up the stairs.

Fifteen minutes later Kyle waited for a reaction from his son. He’d just laid it all flat out on the table. There was no point in trying to give explanations or soften the blow. The kid would just have to accept it. On the whole Kyle thought it was a good solution for both of them. Kelinton Prep was a good school. It had come highly recommended by Admiral Dougherty whose 2 sons were both graduates. Kyle was returning to space. He could not legally leave Will on his own, so the year round boarding school outside of Perth was a good solution. He’d get his education and maybe an attitude adjustment. They could always reconnect once the boy was through this annoying teenage stage.

Will took a deep breath and swallowed hard. It made him angry that his voice still shook a little when he finally spoke. “So- I’m supposed to leave tomorrow? I can’t even say goodbye to my friends? I can’t finish out the season?” Loki, sensing his distress, nudged against his hand.

“What about Loki?”

“I talked to Bart Tomwal. They’ll take him.”

“But…he's my dog...this is home….” Will said softly.

Kyle stood up. He wasn’t a monster. He didn’t like seeing his kid so upset, but the boy was going to learn sooner or later that that you didn’t always get your way. “I’m not getting rid of the house.” Kyle said impatiently. “It’ll still be here if you want to visit some time in the future. But for now, no – it’s not home. You’re going to Perth.”

Will’s eyes brimmed with tears and his bravado deserted him. “Dad! I can stay by myself! I do it all the time anyway! Please! Don’t make me go.”

“It’s decided Will. Now you can be mature and go pack a bag with things you want to take with you. Don’t worry about clothes – you’ll get school uniforms. Or you can act like a child and stand there blithering. But it’s not going to make a damned difference.”

The boy was on his feet now, too, standing toe to toe with his father and Kyle realized just how much he had grown in the last year. He was almost as tall as Kyle, although he had yet to fill out. Kyle had always worried that his son was going to inherit his mother's slight, willowy frame, but now he seemed well on his way to an imposing stature. Will’s expression hardened and he stared into his father’s eyes, his own blue eyes like steel. “I hate you. Mom was probably happy when she died to get away from you.”

Kyle slapped him hard across the face and the boy staggered but regained his footing, a look of pure contempt in his eyes as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“Never. Ever. Talk to me like that again, or so help me I will put you in the ground.” Kyle snarled.

“Don’t worry.” The young man answered, his voice quiet but controlled. “I’ll never talk to you again. Period.” And he turned his back on his father and walked away with quiet dignity.

In the morning he silently did as his father told him, his face impassive as he gave his dog a final scratch behind the ears and followed Kyle out to the waiting transport. He never looked back at the cabin he had called home since birth. He didn’t look down at the Alaskan wilderness as they flew towards Anchorage and the transporter station there. An hour later they had materialized in the Perth transporter station, and took another transport to the Kelinton Preparatory School. The time passed in silence, with Kyle scanning a padd and Will staring straight ahead, making plans in his head.

They were walking up the steps to the massive administrative building on the campus when Kyle finally spoke again. “Look, son. It’s for the best. We both know we’re not much of a father/son duo. You’ll be fine here. “ When Will didn’t respond Kyle huffed.  
“Fine. Play it your way. I tried. Just don’t embarrass me.”

Janice Belcher, the Freshman Guidance Counselor gave them an enthusiastic welcome as she ushered them into her office and brought up the file on her padd. “So, William, I see you’ll be staying with us while your father is working off-world. I’m sure you’ll love it here! I see you’re a great student, and an athlete too! Our soccer team has won the regional championship 3 out of the last 4 years…we’ll have to make sure you meet Coach Hanna!”

The boy smiled at her and she noted what an attractive young man he was with his crystal blue eyes, dimpled chin and black curls. “Yes ma’m” 

“Mr. Riker, Would you care for a tour of the campus with your son before we get him settled in his dorm? “ She said, turning her focus to the boy’s equally handsome father.

“Perhaps some other time.” Kyle Riker said smoothly. “I’m afraid that duty calls.” To her surprise he extended his hand to shake hers before turning to his son. “Goodbye, Will. Don’t screw up.” He said simply, turned on his heel and left.

The Counselor watched with amazed horror, then turned her eyes back to the boy who stood impassively before her. She glanced awkwardly back down at the padd, not sure what to say. She had never had a parent dump their child so unceremoniously. She read over what was on the padd before her until her eyes caught on one set of numbers. “William – I see it’s your birthday. Happy 15th!” she chirped, with false enthusiasm barely covering the pity she felt for this child.

Will gave her another polite smile: one that never reached his eyes. “Thank you ma’m.” he said impassively. It was not a happy birthday, but he was not about to admit to that in front of this stranger who had the ability to determine what was going to happen to him at this school. He had to give the impression that everything was fine. He did not want to be on her radar in any way or shape.

He wasn’t really upset anyway. Somewhere during the trip his emotional upset had given way to a steely resolve. The way he looked at it, he had finally gotten rid of his Dad. Now all he had to do was figure out how to get home.

The counselor kept an eye on him for the next two months, and was glad to see that despite the weirdness with his father, Will, as he preferred to be called, appeared to be adapting beautifully to life at Kelinton Prep. He was unfailing pleasant and polite to the instructors and staff, had no problem fitting into the rigorous academic course, and his athletic skills meant he was welcomed on to the JV Soccer team. He didn't appear to have any trouble being accepted by the other students, especially the girls who were taken with his good looks and ready smile. But, if the counselor had looked a little closer she might have noticed that he held himself slightly apart from the other students, and never made any attempt to personalize his space in the dorm. His assigned houseparents reported that during his free time in the evenings he was often absorbed in a project he was working on, but he seemed to be adjusting just fine.

Nine weeks after first arriving at the school, he had successfully slipped under anyone’s radar. It was a Tuesday afternoon when he was called into the office. Janice Belcher gestured for him to sit down. “Will, we received a message from your father. He says that your family’s plans have changed, and he’ll be withdrawing you from Kelinton”

The boy nodded. “Yes ma’m. His off-world assignment fell through and he’ll be coming back to Alaska for the next few years.”

She studied him, sure that there was something a little bit off, but not quite sure what that would be. She hadn’t forgotten Kyle Riker’s strange exit from her office that day, and Will seemed a little nervous. She looked over the communication from Kyle Riker. Everything appeared to be in order.

“Well, he’s asked us to arrange for your transport back to Anchorage on Friday, where he’ll meet you. We’ll be sorry to see you leave us.” She said kindly. 

“I’m sorry to go, too. This was really nice here.” He told her, careful to convey the exact mix of regret and happiness that was expected.

Janice took a deep breath. She didn’t have a good feeling. “Honey, is everything alright? Is there anything you want to talk about?”

He grinned then, to reassure her. “Everything is fine. I can’t wait to see my friends back home…only it’s getting to be autumn in Alaska. They already had the first snow. I wish my Dad could have at least waited til spring. I think your Aussie weather is turning me into a wimp.” And she laughed, allowing herself to be convinced that everything was fine.

A few days later Will stepped off the transporter padd in Anchorage and looked around with a grin. There was no one there to meet him, or to stop him and send him back to Australia. It had worked. They’d bought the fake communication from his Dad hook line and sinker. A short transport ride later he was stepping into the clearing by the cabin. He was 15 and he was free. The first thing he did was pay a visit to Bart Tomwal to ask if he could get Loki back. He explained about his Dad’s change of orders and they couldn’t say no when they saw how the big dog went crazy with joy to see Will again.

The next day he went to his old school, explained the change of orders again, and was re-enrolled immediately. Knowing Kyle Riker, no one questioned why he didn’t take the time to reenroll his boy himself. And since they all knew Will as well, it was no big deal. He rejoined his classmates that day, and it was almost as if he'd never left. He had a few tense moments when he wasn’t sure if his plan to hack his Dad’s bank account would work, but it all went smoothly and the payments that had been set up to automatically go to Kelinton were instead routed to another account that Will was going to use to pay his living expenses. 

He joined the hockey team, studied ambo jitsu, went back to playing the trombone and piano and was at the top of his class academically. He was one of those kids who didn’t belong to a clique – he was just friends with everyone, from the class nerds to the jocks to the “popular” kids. When Kyle Riker failed to show up at the parent-teacher conferences no one pursued it. Will was the perfect intelligent, kind, well-rounded kid, so there wasn’t really much to discuss anyway.

The closest neighbors to the cabin were Marlin and Marie Felter. From late fall to early spring they lived in their own cabin just down over the ridge. They had a fishing guide business inland during the summers, when people from all over came to enjoy the Alaskan wilderness and catch salmon. Will had adored Marie and worshipped Marlin since he’d been a small boy. He stopped over to see them at least once a week and Marie would feed him while Marlin told stories about the river and the wildlife. Their kids were grown and moved away, so Marlin welcomed the chance to share his knowledge about hunting and fishing and surviving in the wild. They’d ask about Kyle once in a while, but neither of them had ever been particularly fond of Kyle Riker, although they’d loved his late wife and thoroughly enjoyed his brilliant young son. Will said his dad usually got home late and left early, and they didn’t find it odd that they never saw him. 

As the deep winter settled in, Marlin gave him a part time job helping to get things ready for spring when the fishing season would start again, and Will started asking if there might be a spot for him at the fishing camp come summer.

Things would have gone on that way indefinitely if they hadn’t been horsing around after hockey practice one evening on the big boulders outside the rink. Will and two of his team mates were trying to knock each other off the big rocks when he slipped. As he fell his foot lodged in a crevice and he felt a sharp pain. When he tried to stand up, he couldn’t. His ankle gave way under his weight and he collapsed into the snow with a sharp hiss of breath. It was broken.

One of his teammates ran back inside to call the coach, who took him to the small community hospital in town. The compound fracture required resetting before being knitted, and they needed a parent or guardian’s permission to treat him, since he was only 15. The coach tried the emergency contact information on file, and when that didn’t work they questioned Will about how to contact his Dad. With no other option, he told them everything.  
\------

Kyle Riker had recently returned to Prion 3 for negotiations with the Drago Planetary Alliance on normalizing relations with the federation. The last six months had been a whirlwind, and he was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being truly back in the game. He’d been in a rut at Starfleet headquarters for the last ten years, trying to divide his time between a kid and a career. When he thought of his son at all, he thought what a relief it was to have him in a boarding school where he didn’t have to be concerned about him. He figured Will was probably still pretty angry with him, so he figured he’d give him a cooling off period before touching base. Maybe by then Will would have outgrown this difficult stage.

Someone tapped him discretely on the shoulder. “Mr. Riker? You have an emergency communication. You can take it in the office.”

Kyle got up and followed the young woman out of the room, wondering what was going on now. If it was some Starfleet Admiral fussing about the status of the space station again…. He grimaced, but then put on a polite face as he put in his security code, and waited for a moment before a woman in a civilian outfit answered. “Kyle Riker? I’m Panela Truett from the Dept of Social Services in Valdez Alaska. I need to talk to you about your son William Thomas Riker.”

Kyle was surprised, to say the least. “Will? Ms. Truett, my son is in a boarding school in Australia at the moment. What is this about?”

She glanced down at the padd on her desk. “Actually, Mr. Riker, your son is in the hospital in Valdez”

Kyle’s face reddened. “That’s impossible.”

“Mr. Riker, when was the last time you checked in with William?”

“I don’t need to check in. He’s in perfectly good hands at Kelinton Academy. Believe me, my son has no desire to be checked in on by his father.”

“So you are completely unaware that William reenrolled in Valdez High School in September of this year, telling the school administrators that your orders had changed and you were back in Valdez?”

“What the hell?” Kyle exploded. “That little shit.”

Ms. Truett was frowning at him now. “Aren’t you even going to ask why he’s in the hospital?” She asked coldly.

“I am NOT responsible for any situation he’s gotten himself into.”

“On the contrary, Mr. Riker, you are responsible. He’s a 15 year old boy who, as far as we can tell, has been living unsupervised in Valdez for the last seven months, and you are his legal guardian.”

“Jesus Christ.” Kyle swore. “I made arrangements for him to be taken care of. It’s not my fault if he screwed things up.”

Truett looked at him. “Nevertheless, since it took a several days to locate you, it is MY responsibility to inform you that the court has issued a temporary proclamation of child abandonment, and, as court appointed guardians, the Dept of Social Services has authorized medical treatment for his injury. Which, if you care, was a compound fracture of his left ankle.” She glanced at the pad again. “Your son was climbing some rocks with his friends”

Kyle rolled his eyes. It seemed the kid was always coming home with bumps and bruises, but this was only the 2nd broken bone he could remember. The last one had just been a broken nose from ambu-jitsu training when he was 9 or 10. Kyle grimaced. There'd been a few pointed questions when he'd taken the boy to the hospital for that. They'd noticed some other bruises and it had taken a little convincing to make them realize that it was just martial arts training, not child abuse. He was not a bad father, he was just making sure his boy would grow up tough and strong.

Kyle pulled his attention back to the frowning woman on the screen. “So what do you want from me?” He inquired.

“Well, William has been temporarily placed in a group foster home for his own safety, but you are required by law to appear before the Alaska State Social Services Advisement Board to determine the next step that needs to be taken.”

“Ms….Bluett, was it? I am a federation emissary and I am currently involved in high level negotiations with the Drago Planetary Alliance, which, if you’ll consult your padd, is twenty seven days travel from earth at best. I can’t just up and leave. These are critical negotiations and I am essential to this process. Can we just make arrangements to have him sent back to Kelinton? I didn’t abandon him. I made arrangements. Good arrangements. Kelinton is not cheap. The kid just ran away... I’m sure he won’t try this again.”

“It’s Truett.” The woman said coldly. “And I would suggest that you have your attorney get in touch with us as soon as possible. You also have the legal right to request a meeting, if only virtually, with your son.”

Kyle’s face hardened. “That won’t be necessary. My son is not speaking to me anyway. My attorney will be in contact. Riker out.”

She sat back in her chair, literally shaking with anger. It was incomprehensible to her that a father could be so callous. She looked down at the padd in her hands where the boy’s blue eyes looked back at her from his intake photo. He was an extraordinary kid. He was respectful, but firm in his assertions that he could take care of himself. And, she had to admit, for all intents and purposes, it appeared that he could. In the 7 months he’d been on his own, not a single person had been aware of his circumstances. Teachers, coaches and neighbors all reported that he appeared perfectly fine. His grades were outstanding. He was doing college level work in all his classes. He was well liked by both his peers and the adults he interacted with, he took part in a full slate of extracurricular activities, and even had a part time job. His appearance was always clean and neat, and he appeared well adjusted and robustly healthy. When she took him to the cabin to pick up his things she was wondering what she would find, but she’d found that surprising too. The place was clean, and aside from some sports equipment scattered in the living room, it was neater than most. And in the fridge in the kitchen she found fresh fish and fruit and vegetables, and a pot of homemade salmon chowder that he insisted she share with him for lunch. It was delicious and he gave her the recipe when she asked. 

She told her supervisor that this kid had his life more together than 90% of the adults she knew. To her surprise she found herself feeling guilty about pulling him out of his every day living situation and putting him in the group home where he had little autonomy. Most young people his age would have been furious with her in the same circumstances, but he seemed to accept that she was just doing her job. And using his not inconsiderable charm, he convinced her to help him out of the situation he found himself in.

The hearing before the advisement board took place three weeks later, with Kyle Riker absent but represented by a lawyer from San Francisco, and Will seated between Panela Truett and his own legal council, the mother of one of the other boys on the soccer team who had volunteered her services when word got around about what had happened. Will was also surprised to see a number of people he knew packed into the little room. There were his neighbors Marlin and Marie Felter, his school principal, the soccer coach, the lady that owned the store where he usually bought his supplies, the barber who cut his hair, the parents of some of his friends and even the grouchy old guy who owned the property where he liked to fish who had barely ever said a word to Will but now gave him an encouraging clap on the shoulder as he walked by.  
Will’s lawyer made the case that the boy be emancipated, and one by one the community of Valdez came forward to testify that William Riker was perfectly capable of living on his own. Several of them also made offers to help him whenever needed. The board looked at his school records, listened to Panela Truett’s report and listened to the confident, mature way that Will himself answered their questions.  
Less than a week later Will was back before the board and sat listening to their instructions. He was free to move back to the cabin, with the caveat that he would be required to touch base daily with Mr. and Mrs. Felter. He also had to meet weekly with the principal to review his academic situation, and Mrs. Truett would continue to make visits every other week to assure that his living conditions were safe. Kyle Riker was required to support him financially and to allow him to continue to live in the cabin until he turned 18, or completed his college education. Kyle’s lawyer accepted the terms, they all shook hands, and Panela took him back to the group home to gather his things. That evening he stopped by Bart Tomwal’s place to pick up Loki, again, and life returned to normal.  
____________________________

The summer that he turned seventeen, Will was busy hauling coolers down to the dock when the newest guests arrived at the lodge. For the second summer he was helping the Felter’s at the fishing camp and he loved the job. He was outdoors everyday, taking 2 fishermen out in the boat, guiding to the best fishing spots and sharing his knowledge about the Alaskan wilderness. At lunchtime they met up with the other boats and together the guides built a fire and prepared a shore lunch, frying up some of the morning’s catch along with sliced potatoes in cast iron skillets. Will was by far the youngest of the guides and the 5 older men stuck him with a lot of the hard work, but he didn’t mind. He loved what he was doing. At night, after they’d gotten their charges safely back to the lodge, processed the day’s catch and prepared for the morning, he would sit around with them and listen to their stories. He couldn’t picture a better life and had told Mr. Felter that, but his boss had made it clear that he would only have a job in the coming years if he enrolled in college. He sighed inwardly. He might be legally emancipated, but everyone around him was putting pressure on him to decide what his next step was going to be when he graduated in the fall. They all told him he could be anything he wanted to be. But all he wanted to do was be a fishing guide, and maybe lead Aurora tours for the tourists in the winter. 

Will heard a roar of laughter coming from the shore and glanced up at the newest arrivals. Eight older guys, grey haired but fit looking, were gathered around Marlin Felter, who Will assumed was telling the story of the guest who was taking a leak behind a tree when a grizzly appeared. He told the story to every group when they arrived, first because it was hilarious and broke the ice, second as a warning, because grizzlies were a force to be reckoned with out here in the bush. There was a second roar of laughter and Will knew Marlin had reached the punch line, and in a couple minutes would be walking the guests out on the dock to show them what the setup would be like with the boats in the morning. He quickly stowed the last of the gear on his boat and then straightened up to greet the men. Marlin had impressed upon him the importance of being welcoming and friendly with the guests, but also the importance of exuding confidence and maturity. He might be 16 going on 17, but it was important that the guests recognized that he was capable of guiding them, ensuring their enjoyment and their safety.

This young buck is Will Riker, one of our guides.” Marlin was saying, and Will stepped up out of the boat and shook hands with each of the men as they gave their names. He was good with names and wouldn’t forget them for the duration of the men’s stay. “Will’s a river rat. Grew up hunting and fishing around here. He’s a pain in the ass, but he knows the area and the fish. If you’re in his boat you’re in for a good catch.” Will smiled. He and Marlin had their routine with this too…the customers enjoyed the ribbing they gave each other and it set the tone for the trips.

Will flashed them a grin. “Marlin grew up around here too….a reeeeeally long time ago. If you’re in his boat and he forgets where home is, don’t worry too much. He hasn’t gotten permanently lost… Yet.”

Marlin grumbled something about “We’ll see who comes back with the most fish.” But he was smiling too, and the men laughed. On shore, one of the other guides was struggling to carry two kayaks down to the beach and yelled “Yo, Riker, how about a hand?”  
Will excused himself and jogged back the dock. Marlin watched him go and commented. “He’s a great kid. Just a warning - he may be a little squirrelly when he finds out you’re all Star Fleet. His father decided his career in Star Fleet was more important than his family, and that left a pretty bad taste in Will’s mouth.”

Admiral David Meyers frowned. “Really? Who’s his father?”

Marlin frowned. “Kyle Riker – he’s some sort of negotiator. Don't know where he's assigned. Not a popular guy in these parts.”

Meyers nodded, watching as the kid hoisted one of the kayaks over his head, laughing and obviously ribbing the other guide. “If you haven’t made your boat assignments yet, I wouldn’t mind having Will for a guide. Maybe I can change his mind about Star Fleet.”

The next day Admiral David Meyers adjusted his rod and glanced over to where Will Riker was patiently explaining the use of different lures to the other Admiral in the boat. “Goatsie” as they affectionately called him, was a superb supply chain administrator, but he was basically helpless when it came to any outdoor pursuit. It had taken some convincing to get him to go along on this trip, but he seemed to be enjoying himself, largely in part to their guide. Contrary to what Marlin had warned them about, the young man hadn’t seemed to react at all to the news that they were Star Fleet officers. He was the consummate professional, very personable and a font of knowledge about fishing and Alaska in general. He didn’t seem to be the least bit intimidated by the brass floating around in his boat. They were catching a lot of fish and having a great time.

On the second full day of fishing they had a good number of fish by lunch time and Will aimed the boat at the beach where two of the other boats had already pulled up on shore. The guides got a fire started and started cleaning fish and slicing potatoes for lunch while their six clients decided to go for a hike. Forty five minutes later they hadn’t returned and one of the older guides sent Will after them. He jogged up the trail and hadn’t gone far when he ran into a worried looking Goatsie. “There’s a grizzly. A big one.”

Will looked down the trail but there was no one in sight. “Is everyone ok?”

“They were. But the bear was facing off with them. I was behind everyone else – thought I’d try to get help." He glanced around nervously. "Do bears travel in pairs?"

Will jerked his head back towards the lake – “You're fine. Go tell Marlin what’s going on. I’ll head up there.” And he took off up the trail, hoping that the Star Fleet guys were all still in one piece. About a quarter mile ahead he rounded a outcrop of rocks, and there they were. 

The six of them were huddled together uncertainly on the edge of the trail, watching David Meyers down by the stream. He was about 50 feet from a grizzly who was eyeing him speculatively.

Will unholstered the phaser that he carried. It only had stun settings, but he turned it to high. All the guides had one for situations just like this. He came up to the other men and said quietly “OK. It’s all good. That bear’s just curious – not pissed off right now. You guys just stay put.” And he passed them, walking slowly but steadily towards Admiral David Meyers, keeping an eye on the grizzly who looked towards him and huffed a warning.

He forced himself to take a deep breath. “Dave. Listen. Just back away slowly. Keep facing the bear, don’t make any sudden moves. You’ll be fine. Come towards me.”

Meyers nodded. His heart was pounding, but he felt marginally better just knowing that Riker was there. The young man didn’t seem particularly worried, and that gave him confidence. He slowly started to move backwards, feeling his way, not taking his eyes off the grizzly who was making low chuffing noises.

“Good, good. You’re doing good, Dave. There’s a nice bear. That's a good girl. Just go about your business, we’re leaving…” Will kept up a continuous soft soothing patter, “come to me Dave. You’re doing fine. Good bear…”

It seemed like everything was going well until Admiral Meyers tried to step backwards up on the gravel bank where the stream had eroded the shore away. The ground gave way beneath his foot and he fell. The bear, startled by the sudden movement, lunged forward. Will took aim with the phaser and hit the animal squarely. The bear took another step or two and crumbled into the streambed. Meyers recovered his feet and scrambled away. Will hesitated a moment and then rushed forward towards the unconscious bear. 

The men watched him, not comprehending what he was doing. “Hey! Help me.” Will ordered sharply, wading into the icy stream and grabbing the grizzly’s huge head. “We’ve got to get her head above water or she’ll drown!”

Dave Meyers, who was closest, joined him, followed quickly by one of the other men, and they were able to maneuver the bear’s huge head so that it was propped on a rock, with the snout out of the water. With that task accomplished Will pointed to shore “OK – let’s get out of here – not sure how long she’ll be stunned – and I don’t want to be close when she wakes up!”

Back up on the bank, he paused for a brief moment to catch his breath. The rest of the Star Fleet guys had come closer and were staring at the bear in wonder. Three of them were taking vids. "We need to head back." He instructed firmly and he had begun herding them back to the trail when Marlin and the other guides came jogging towards them.

Will wasn’t exactly sure if he was shaking from the cold, or from the residual adrenaline that was pumping through his body. He’d been so scared that he’d miss the shot, or the stun level wouldn’t be enough to stop the huge animal from mauling the client. He hadn’t wanted to let on to the guests, but it was his first encounter with a charging grizzly, and it was frankly terrifying. Then, he’d been scared that he’d killed the bear, but they waited long enough where they could watch from a distance, and after 5 minutes it had roused itself and stumbled off into the bush like a drunk man.

Now, Will was huddled wrapped in a blanket next to the fire that they’d built up from a cooking fire into a roaring blaze. Admiral Meyers and Captain Tai were on the opposite side, trying to dry themselves out and warm up as well, and all the men were talking excitedly as they chowed down on the shore lunch, pumped up from their bear encounter.

Marlin came up beside him and laid a hand on his shoulder. “You alright there Will?” he asked softly. 

“Yup – fine.”

Marlin chuckled. “That bear’s gonna gain a thousand pounds and a couple claws in the stories they take home with them. Just do me a favor. Don’t tell my wife I almost got you turned into bear chow, or she’ll have my hide.”  
Will smiled wanly. He would have answered but his teeth were still chattering. Marlin squeezed his shoulder and lowered his voice even further, so that the other men couldn’t hear. “You did really good, Will. I’m proud of you.”

Will wasn’t quite sure how to react to that. He gave Marlin a half smile and gestured to the cooking equipment. “Uh...I’m gonna start getting this stuff packed up...”. But as he walked away he was beaming inside. Someone was proud of him.

On the last day of their fishing trip Dave Meyers studied Will Riker as he skimmed their boat across the lake. “So Will, Marlin tells me you’ve only got a semester left in high school. What are your career plans?”

Riker sighed inwardly. Why did every adult think they had to question him about what he was going to do when he finished school? He told himself not to show his annoyance when he answered. “I’m not sure. There’s a lot of things I’m interested in, but not enough of one thing that I want to devote my life to it. I’m thinking maybe Natural Resources Management. Kanai University has a good program.”

Meyers nodded. The camp owner had told him a few things about this kid, including the fact that he was brilliant academically, a fine athlete and class president, and had accomplished all that almost entirely without the benefit of any parental guidance. On top of that, he obviously had guts, and a presence about him far beyond his years. The Admiral thought back to the bear incident. The boy had taken control of the situation, given orders and reassurance to a bunch of Star Fleet brass, and remained cool and calm throughout the ordeal. “Ever think of a career in Star Fleet?”

The boy cast him a sardonic look. “Nope. Not my thing.”

“Too bad” Goatsie commented. “Dave’s director of admissions at the academy.”

Will looked uncomfortable. “Uh – I know the academy is the holy grail for a lot of people, but I’m more suited to this kind of boat than I would be to a starship.” 

“Don’t sell yourself short. Yes, Alaska is beautiful and amazing…but there is a whole universe out there just waiting to be explored. It could be an exciting career for you.”

Will shook his head. “I don’t think so. I like it here.”

Dave Meyers was used to kids who were begging to get into the Academy. He wasn’t used to doing recruiting, but he knew this kid was special. “Alaska will always be here, son...but don’t you think you owe it to yourself to see what else is out there…to see what you could be? You’ve got a good hundred years of living ahead of you…Take a couple of them and go for the adventure! If you don’t like it, you can always come home and be a fishing guide.” 

The young man turned his attention to Goatsie’s rod which had suddenly bent under the weight of a fish on the line, and that ended the discussion, but as they said their goodbyes the next morning Admiral David Meyers slipped a card into Will Riker’s hand. “Think about what I said about the Academy. Over the years I’ve seen thousands of young people who have become cadets. I’ve developed an instinct for this and I can usually tell when they’re going to be something exceptional. I have that feeling about you. I respect your desire to stay in Alaska, but if you change your mind, come see me. I can’t guarantee you a spot in the Academy, but I can grease the wheels.”

After the eight star fleet officers boarded the transport Will Riker glanced at the card in his hand. He crumbled it up and tossed it in with the box of trash he was taking to the recycler, but halfway across the yard he paused, took it back out, flattened it, and slipped it into his pocket. Maybe it was worth considering.

**Author's Note:**

> My first time posting-constructive comments appreciated!!!


End file.
